Tribunal suspends nurse’s registration for misuse of medication

14 Feb 2018

A tribunal has reprimanded a nurse, suspended her registration for two months and imposed conditions on her registration for professional misconduct.

Ms Deborah Gilbert was a practice nurse at a general medical practice where one of her duties was to order medication and medical supplies for the practice. Between September 2015 and August 2016 she ordered approximately 16 packets of diazepam to the general medical practice for her own personal use.

In September 2016, following termination of her employment with the practice, Ms Gilbert made a self-notification to AHPRA about her conduct. As a result of the notification, the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) took immediate action to restrict Ms Gilbert from practising as a registered nurse until she had undergone a health assessment and been deemed fit to return to practise.

Ms Gilbert was found to have a health impairment at the time of the conduct and restrictions were placed on her registration restricting her practice and requiring her to have regular drug and alcohol screening and treatment with a GP and psychologist.

Following consideration of mitigating factors, including that she had self-notified and admitted to the conduct, Ms Gilbert and the NMBA reached an agreed settlement that was presented to the State Administrative Tribunal of Western Australia (the tribunal). On 1 December 2017, the tribunal reprimanded Ms Gilbert and suspended her registration for two months. The tribunal also imposed conditions on her registration (to be imposed following the period of suspension) including drug screening, attending her treating practitioner, working day time hours only and undertaking an ethics course. Ms Gilbert was ordered to pay a contribution to the NMBA’s costs of $2,000.

The decision has been published on the tribunal’s website.